Google Destiny

So you’re the proud owner of one of Samsung’s foldables. Look at you, you early adopter! There are obviously a few more ways to use your phone than a typical slab-style phone, and that’s probably why you bought one.

Flex mode is one of those features. That’s basically just a term for whenever you use the phone’s main screen folded halfway. It’s most useful if you want to set the phone down and use it hands-free, like for video calls, and some apps are optimized by default to take advantage of it.

Here’s how to use Flex mode with the apps that support it natively — and also how to enable it for apps that don’t. I tested these steps on a Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 running One UI 4.1.1.

FOR APPS THAT SUPPORT FLEX MODE
To enter Flex mode, make sure you have the orientation lock turned off (check for the lock icon in the notification / quick settings shade), then open an app and fold the phone screen halfway like a laptop or a makeup compact. If the app supports it, you’ll see the content move to the top screen and — usually — a set of controls appear at the bottom. This varies by app; also, not every app that supports Flex mode on the Fold is supported on the Flip.

How to use Flex mode on the Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold Put that folding phone to work.

This year’s major Android update, Android 13, is officially releasing today for Google’s Pixel phones, the search giant has announced. The annual update is getting an official release a little earlier than usual, following Android 12’s release last October and Android 11’s release in September 2020.

The list of updates arriving with this year’s version of Android is likely to be familiar if you’ve been keeping up with Android 13’s beta releases. There’s the ability to customize non-Google app icons to match your homescreen wallpaper that we saw in Android 13’s first developer preview, a new permission to cut down on notification spam, and a new option to limit which of your photos and videos an app can access.

Android 13 arrives for Pixel phones starting today Other manufacturers will get the update later this year.